Export and shipping
Customs clearance, letters of credit and duty claims.
For exporters and companies
Commercial Documents Attestation for Exporters and Companies
Commercial documents attestation makes your invoices, certificates of origin and company papers valid for a buyer, bank or government office abroad. INFINITYGRO takes the set through the Chamber of Commerce, the MEA and the embassy for exporters, freight forwarders and companies across India.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Quick answer
What is the route for commercial documents attestation? A recognised Chamber of Commerce authenticates the document first, after notarisation where the document needs it. The MEA then either apostilles it, for Apostille Convention countries, or attests it. Countries outside the convention, such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and China, then legalize it at their embassy in New Delhi.
Why buyers and customs ask for attested commercial documents
For many importing countries an invoice or certificate of origin from India is only a claim until official stamps back it. Customs use the attested certificate of origin to decide the duty. Banks handling a letter of credit check that the documents carry the stamps named in the credit. Ministries ask for attested company papers before they register a foreign supplier, agent or branch.
When one document in the set is missing a stamp, the shipment can sit at the port while the papers travel back to India. Most of our work for exporters is about preventing that: checking the set before it goes, and moving it through each office in the right order.
By destination
Commercial document route by destination country
| Apostille countries: UK, USA, Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain | Chamber of Commerce → MEA Apostille. Nothing further in India. |
|---|---|
| UAE | Chamber of Commerce → MEA attestation → UAE Embassy → UAE MOFA in the UAE |
| Qatar, Kuwait | Chamber of Commerce → MEA attestation → Embassy legalization |
| Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Yemen | Chamber of Commerce → MEA attestation → Embassy legalization |
| China | Red-sticker notary → Chamber of Commerce → MEA attestation → Chinese Embassy (Apostille not valid between India and China) |
| Germany | No legalization for Indian documents. German authorities may request verification through the German Embassy. |
Documents
Commercial documents we attest and apostille
Grouped by the reason a company usually needs them.
Product registration
- Free Sale Certificate
- Halal Certificate
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Certificate Of Conformity
- Good Standing Certificate
Registering food, cosmetic, pharma and farm products abroad.
Company records
- Certificate Of Incorporation
- Memorandum Of Association
- Articles of Association
- Board Resolution
- GST Certificate
- Certificate Of Registration
- Balance Sheet & Audit Report
Branches, bank accounts, tenders and supplier registration.
Acting abroad
Appointing an agent, distributor or lawyer in another country.
Chambers of Commerce we work with
The MEA accepts stamps from several Delhi chambers. We regularly use FICCI, ASSOCHAM, the Delhi Chamber of Commerce, the PHD Chamber and the Indian Chamber of Commerce. They do not all authenticate every document type, and some embassies prefer certain chambers.
We choose the chamber for your document and destination, and include the chamber's own fee in the written quote. If your certificate of origin was issued by a chamber in another city, we can usually take it from there to the MEA without a second chamber step.
Preferential certificates of origin, used to claim lower duty under a trade agreement, are issued online through the platform of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Ask your buyer whether they need the preferential or the non-preferential certificate before you apply. DGFT website
How to prepare commercial documents for attestation
- Issue invoices and certificates on company letterhead, signed by an authorised signatory with the company stamp.
- Make the consignee, invoice number, date and goods description match across the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin.
- Prepare a covering letter on letterhead that lists the documents and names the destination country.
- Keep the signatory's identity proof and the company's registration details ready; chambers may ask for them.
- Check the letter of credit, if there is one, for the exact stamps it names.
Mistakes that hold up shipments
- A different consignee name on the invoice and the certificate of origin.
- An unsigned or unstamped copy sent instead of the original.
- Apostilled documents sent to a country that needs embassy legalization, or the reverse.
- A power of attorney signed abroad but notarised in India without the signatory present.
Commercial documents attestation charges
| MEA Apostille, government fee | ₹50 per document |
|---|---|
| Chamber of Commerce | The chamber's own fee, by chamber and document |
| Embassy legalization | Set by each embassy; usually higher for commercial documents |
| INFINITYGRO service | Quoted per document in writing, before any document leaves your hands |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
Working with exporters across India
Most of our commercial clients are not in Delhi. They send the signed set by courier, we check it on arrival, and they follow each stamp on WhatsApp. Finished documents travel back by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier, or straight to your freight forwarder if you prefer.
For exporters shipping regularly to the same market, we keep the route, chamber and embassy requirements on file, so each new shipment starts with a checked format.
Questions
Commercial documents attestation FAQs
What is commercial documents attestation?
It is the legalization of trade and company documents, such as invoices, certificates of origin, powers of attorney and company registration papers, so that authorities, banks and buyers abroad accept them. It starts at a Chamber of Commerce, then the MEA, then the embassy where required.
Why does a commercial document go to a Chamber of Commerce first?
The MEA authenticates commercial documents on the basis of a recognised Chamber of Commerce's stamp, in the same way it relies on state departments for personal and educational documents.
Which chamber should I use?
It depends on the document and sometimes on the embassy. We pick from the Delhi chambers we use regularly, such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM, the Delhi Chamber of Commerce and the PHD Chamber, based on which one authenticates your document type.
Can commercial documents be apostilled?
Yes, for Apostille Convention countries. After Chamber of Commerce authentication, the MEA can apostille the document. The MEA fee is ₹50 per document.
Do I need to send original invoices?
The chamber and the MEA work on the signed and stamped original issued by your company. For bulk shipments we can plan a set that is attested together, so every document in it matches.
Can you handle repeat shipments for the same country?
Yes. Once the route for a buyer country is set, we keep it on file, so later shipments move faster and arrive with the same format each time.
Send us your shipment set for a check
WhatsApp photos of the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin with the buyer's country. We reply with the route and a written quote.